He was formerly known as Ā-Méng (阿蒙). Also recorded to have died in 220.

Lu Meng Originally a man who only lived for battle, he became an educated scholar through dedicated perseverance. He is one of the respected commanders for Sun Quan and acts as a mentor for Gan Ning and Lu Xun.

In the Dynasty Warriors series, he is 29 years old and his height is 181 cm (a little over 5'11").

Contents

General Information

While Serving Lu Meng you will gain these bonuses

Domestic Bonus: Commerce + 10

Battle Bonus: Life + 15

Character Information

Personality

Honest and perceptive, Lu Meng is a man who believes in steadfastness. While he speaks with a gruff tone, he is a calm and flexible leader with universal capabilities. Praised for his determination and cunning, he tries to impart his wisdom to several of Wu's younger retainers, as he finds them to be the hope for their kingdom should he fall. He particularly sees talent in Lu Xun and respects the younger man's intellect. He is sensitive about his age and isn't too flattered with Gan Ning's nickname for him.

Character Symbolism

The original names for Lu Meng's third and fourth weapons -and his Level 11 weapon- are references to one of the Four Divine Beast of Constellations famous in Eastern Asia, the White Tiger. In this case, the name doubles as a nod to Wu and being the polar opposite of the Blue Dragon. Within the Dynasty Warriors series, the Blue Dragon often represents Guan Yu.

Lu Meng's weapons for his Dynasty Warriors 6 appearance had a wordplay when they were collected. His Standard weapon roughly means "Indomitable Spirit". Its literal definition means "unwavering", defined as whatever challenges a person faces, their will -their human heart- will always prevail. His Skill weapon can be translated as "Unbending Will" or more literally, "No Surrender". The definition can mean to never give into pressure. When these two names are combined, they create the four kanji proverb Futou Fukutsu (不撓不屈): whatever challenges a person meets, they will never falter. In Japan, this phrase was originally coined with tax evasion. But as the controversy extended and times changed, the trends encouraged aristocrats to abandon their high-class life styles to become men of war.

The name for his Strength weapon implies to abandon one's care for one's enemy or to not care for impulsive acts (不敵, futeki). It is usually translated as being callous or rambunctious.

His original personal item in Warriors Orochi is Zhan Guo Ce, an indispensable document that details the strategies, politics, and conditions of China's Warring States Period. It is a compilation spread throughout the time period and describes plans created since Shi Huangdi's time of power.

Historical Information

Early Years

Lu Meng originated from Fupo in Runan. His sons were Lu Ba, Lu Zong, and Lu Mu. Around his teenage years, Lu Meng stayed with his sister's husband, Deng Dang, who was also an officer under Sun Ce. When Deng Dang was ordered to battle the Shanyue barbarians, Lu Meng secretly followed him, and after finding out, Deng Dang failed to convince Lu Meng to go home. After the operations were complete, Lu Meng's mother found out and wished to punish Lu Meng. She relented after her son said, "One cannot stay poor forever. But if by chance I gain merit and honor in something, fortune and prestige would come. As they say, 'if you don't go deep into the tiger's den, how can you hope to catch a tiger cub?'" An officer under Deng Dang insulted Lu Meng because he was so young, and insinuated that he would be dead weight on the army because of his youth. The same officer insulted Lu Meng again another day, and Lu Meng killed him, then seeking shelter under a village elder.

He would turn himself in later, and the colonel who received him brought the tale of what had happened to Sun Ce. Sun Ce met with Lu Meng and made him his personal officer after becoming impressed with the young lad. When Deng Dang passed away years later, Zhang Zhao recommended Lu Meng to succeed Deng Dang's rank, and thus he was appointed as Major of a Separate Command.

Sun Ce died and Sun Quan inherited control of the administration. Lu Meng had his command increased and was promoted to Colonel who Pacifies the North and Chief of Guangde commune after impressing Sun Quan with his troops and accomplishing much in a campaign for Danyang. When Sun Quan sailed to conquer Huang Zu, Huang Zu had Chen Jiu, his chief commander, to repel the attackers. Leading the vanguard, Lu Meng killed Chen Jiu and forced Huang Zu to flee his positions. Sun Quan commended that the conquest's success was due to the quick defeats of Chen Jiu. Lu Meng was promoted to General of the Interior Who Crosses the Fields.

After Cao Cao and his fleet was defeated at Chibi, Lu Meng routed them during their escape at Wulin, and after accompanied Zhou Yu in besieing Nanjun. Gan Ning requested reinforcements to come after he engaged Cao Ren at Yiling, and the commanders pleaded that they did not have enough troops to rescue him. Lu Meng suggested to Cheng Pu and Zhou Yu to allow himself to go with them and reinforce Gan Ning, and also to seal off the enemy's escape routes with wood so the enemy horses could be taken. The advice was taken, and after arriving at Yiling, Cao Ren's forces were massacred. They fled during the night, but the escape routes were blocked by the wood set up before by Zhou Yu, and so, the troops dismounted and retreated on foot. The remaining horses were captured, and most parts of Cao-controlled Jing province were pacified. Lu Meng was made the Chief of Xunyang commune and Lieutenant-General.

As General

Lu Meng later would defeat Xie Qi, an officer under Cao Cao sent to manage farming colonies at Wan and would interfere with the Wu border.

Sun Quan wanted to build forts on the northern side of the Yangtze in case they would need to attack enemy forces there. Many generals opposed it, saying there would be no need for forts if they're attacking, but Lu Meng supported the idea, countering that the events of battle are manifold and should they need to retreat, there would be no time to board ships or get into the water. The forts were built, and during the defense of Ruxu around 213 AD, Lu Meng proposed many good plans, also suggesting that forts should be build all around for a well-prepared defense. The enemy would soon retreat, not being able to pierce through the defenses.

When Cao Cao had Zhu Guang set up a fort and expand the farming colonies at Wan, Lu Meng proposed that an attack should be made to halt the expansions to prevent more enemy troops from being stationed there from good harvests. Sun Quan accepted the advice and led a march on Wan. Lu Meng had Gan Ning lead the charge for the city while Lu Meng backed him up and personally beat the drums to increase allied morale. The city was quickly taken, and the arriving Zhang Liao had to retreat upon hearing of the defeat. Lu Meng was promoted to Grand Administrator of Lujiang and the captured soldiers were put under his command. Lu Meng's merits amounted to number one, with Gan Ning taking the second spot. On his way to another area a rebellion rose in Luling, and no generals sent could put it down. Lu Meng was sent and upon arriving, he killed the instigator and quelled the uprising.

Lu Meng was ordered to take three southern commanderies of Jing controlled by Liu Bei ― Changsha, Lingling, and Guiyang. Changsha and Lingling quickly submitted after receiving a letter, but Hao Pu, Grand Administrator of Lingling, did not. Guan Yu was battling Lu Su at Yiyang, and Sun Quan was away from the action west in Lukou. Lu Meng was ordered to abandon Lingling and to reinforce Lu Su. Instead of following orders, Lu Meng kept it a secret and summoned his commanders instructing them to attack Lingling before noon. Lu Meng sent a civilian friend of Hao Pu to convince him to surrender the city. As expected, Hao Pu came out and surrendered, and unbeknownst to him, four generals of Lu Meng took control of the city gates as Hao Pu left. He assigned Sun Jiao to manage Lingling while Lu Meng left for Yiyang. Liu Bei requested a peace treaty, and Sun Quan released Hao Pu to him, as well as Lingling. Lu Meng was given Xunyang an Yangxin as a fief.

When Sun Quan marched onto Hefei in 215 AD, he was repelled by the defenders led by Zhang Liao, Li Dian, and Yue Jin. Sun Quan began a general retreat but was ambushed by Zhang Liao; Lu Meng and Ling Tong fiercely fought the enemy. In 217 AD, at the second defense of Ruxu, Lu Meng was made the chief controller for the army, and held the forts built earlier on. He was able to repel Cao Cao's vanguard before they could make a good attack with ten thousand crossbowmen. Cao Cao would retreat, and Lu Meng was rewarded with the titles Keeper of the Left Army, and General of Tiger Might.

As Commander-in-Chief

Lu Su died and his command was put under Lu Meng. Four fiefs were given to him, as well as the Grand Administrator of Hanchang position. Guan Yu, Liu Bei's administrator for Jing province, shared a border with him. Lu Meng commented that if more areas of Jing could be taken with Sun Jiao holding Nanjun in the north, Pan Zhang stationed at Baidi, Jiang Qin reinforcing riverside positions opposing the enemy, and Lu Meng himself heading north to take Xiangyang, then Guan Yu and Cao Cao would be of no consequence. Furthermore, he said that Guan Yu was haughty, and was not attacking Sun Quan's and because of Lu Meng and other officers still living and once they were gone, Guan Yu could easily take over Sun Quan's land by force. Sun Quan agreed and brought up the topic of taking Xu province, which was north of Sun Quan's capital of Jianye and west of the Han capital of Xuchang. Lu Meng's reply was that though taking Xu province would be easy, keeping it would be difficult, and that taking Guan Yu's portion of Jing would be better.

Lu Meng doubled the efforts in befriending Guan Yu. The Liu general attacked Fan, and Lu Meng noticed that he had left a large army behind worrying that Lu Meng wanted to take his positions. At this time Lu Meng had become ill. Accordingly and using it to his advantage, he had word passed around that he was severely ill, and Sun Quan, in cahoots with him, had an edict set that Lu Meng was to return to Jianye. Guan Yu then had the reserve troops recalled to fight on the frontlines. The bearded general's worries were lessened even more when Lu Meng's replacement, Lu Xun, began to send letters praising him.

When Guan Yu conquered Fancheng, capturing Yu Jin and executing Pang De, and after Cao Cao expressed his fear that Xuchang could be taken by Guan Yu, Sima Yi was able to send an emissary to Sun Quan requesting assistance in the form of attacking Guan Yu's rear. The plan was accepted, and Sun Quan wanted his cousin Sun Jiao to share joint command with Lu Meng for the attack. Lu Meng argued against it, reminding Sun Quan of how Cheng Pu had temporarily resented Zhou Yu leading the Chibi defense as Cheng Pu himself was a more senior general. Lu Meng's words were appreciated and he alone was put in command.

Lu Meng hid his best troops in minor naval crafts disguised as lowly merchants. With the illusion set they were able to take Guan Yu's guard boats, holding them captive so Guan Yu would not be notified. Lu Meng had Yu Fan convince Shi Ren to surrender Gong'an, and Shi Ren induced Mi Fang to surrender Nanjun. Lu Meng consoled the families of Guan Yu and his subordinates, and ordered that no soldier was to harass a peasant family. A soldier from Runan, where Lu Meng originted, took an item from a civlian family to protect and preserve his state-issued armor from the rain. Lu Meng, in tears, had him executed to follow the law, and there was no further issue. He had his colleagues care for the sick, poor and elderly in the city, giving them clothes, food, and other necessities wherever needed, and protected the belongings of Guan Yu. Messengers were sent from Guan Yu asking for news, and Lu Meng would treat them kindly and escort them around the city where families would ask for knowledge concerning the state of their friends and kinsmen in the Liu army. When the messengers came back to their camps, soldiers found out about the treatment of their families and how much better it was compared to treatment in the past. Sun Quan marched on Guan Yu and he fled to Maicheng. Guan Yu and his son were ityaptured and beheaded.

With Jing province pacified of any control from Liu Bei, Lu Meng was made Marquis of Chanling and Grand Administrator of Nanjun along with generous amounts of cash after personal declinations. Lu Meng became ill and was taken into the palace for treatment. Doctors from far and wide were recuited and a reward for one thousand catties of gold was set as a reward for whoever could cure Lu Meng's ailment. Sun Quan was deeply saddened by the illness and wanted to go and see Lu Meng during his aupuncture treatment, but because it might interrupt him, Sun Quan punched a hole through a wall to watch Lu Meng. If Lu Meng ate, Sun Quan would rejoice, but if he didn't, Sun Quan would not be able to rest at night. Lu Meng seemed to get healthier, and in honor Sun Quan held an amnesty for all. The illness got worse and after personally visitng him, Sun Quan ordered Taoist priests to pray for his life. Lu Meng had his gold and treasures organized and died at the age of 42. Under his order, the gold and treasures were given back to the state and Lu Meng wished to have his funeral modest and for expenses to be minimal, further depressing Sun Quan.

Sun Quan later told Lu Xun that Lu Meng's strategic ability was second only to that of Zhou Yu, and in capturing Guan Yu, he was better than Lu Su.

Tales

During the siege at Nanjun, an officer defected to Zhou Yu along with his troops, and Zhou Yu wanted to add the troops to Lu Meng's command. Lu Meng, on the basis that it would be courteous to reward a defecting officer instead of taking away from him, persuaded Zhou Yu not to and to leave the defector with his original command. When three generals stationed close to Lu Meng died, leaving sons and younger brothers lacking the age to inherit heir troop, Sun Quan wanted to assign those troops to Lu Meng. However, Lu Meng wrote several times declining on the pretese that the three generals had given theselves to the fullest for the state and so the troops were not given to him, and Lu Meng assigned teachers to the future inheritors.

In his youthful years under Sun Quan, because Lu Meng had not devoted himself to the texts of military strategy yet, the administrator of Jiangxia, Cai Yi, had filed complaints against him. He bore no grudge, and when the Grand Administrator of Yuzhang died, recommended Cai Yi to replace him. Sun Quan laughed and followed the proposal.

On one occasion, Sun Quan recommended to the hesitant Lu Meng and Jiang Qin that with their new ranks, they should study military strategy. The former especially began to vigorously study, and his knowledge quickly advanced to amount more than more experienced scholars.

Lu Su thought very little of Lu Meng when he succeeded Zhou Yu, who had passed due to illness. He was astounded during a meeting with the hosting Lu Meng with the latter's foresight in having five diffeent plans on how to deal with Guan Yu, whose territory was bordering theirs. The guest honored Lu Meng's mother and the two became good friends.

Gan Ning was a new officer who often disobeyed orders. Sun Quan became angry at him, but Lu Meng would always present himself in Gan Ning's favor, saying that in the tough times tolerating Gan Ning would be the best. He would eventually earn many achievements under Sun Quan. According to Gan Ning's scroll in the Records of Three Kingdoms, a kitchen boy of his committed an offense and fled to Lu Meng. Caring for the boy, Lu Meng did not show him to Gan Ning until later, and Gan Ning promised that he would not harm the boy. He went back on the promise, and tying him up to a tree, killed the offender himself, then going onto his boat to rest. Lu Meng wanted to muster his troops to attack Gan Ning on his boat, but the mother of the filial Lu Meng stopped him with a few words. Gan Ning and Lu Meng went to see the latter's mother and then feasted.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

In the historical novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, his plan to feign sickness to fool Guan Yu into feeling secure about his rear force during the siege of Fancheng is given to Lu Xun, with Lu Meng feigning sickness because he was unsure in how to defeat him. After Guan Yu's death, his spirit possessed Lu Meng and made blood spill out of his orifices, killing him.